Brotherhood of St. Raziel
'''The Brotherhood of St. Raziel''' ''St. Raziel, who is known to mortals as the Patron Saint of Secrets and Deliverance, is the Secret Keeper for the Armaments of Martyrdom. '' During the Godswar the Forces of Heaven amassed and the war raged for an age. When it was over, many lives were lost. A peace was brokered between the Estelar, and the Outer Planes became isolated. To continue the war would have destroyed the Purpose, or worse, unmade the worlds. While that peace was being negotiated, members of the Angelic Host came together in a pact. They understood the nature of their foes, and were led by the Archangel Martyriel. Martyriel first recruited Raziel, The Keeper of Secrets who was of a like mind, and with Raziel’s help, the meeting was unseen and only known to it’s conspirators. Nine Angel's came together and defied the Divine Order to return to the Heavens. The Angels knew the power that mortal souls possessed and believed the great powers of evil would entice and corrupt mortals. The Brotherhood conducted a high ritual in secret. Seven Angels transferred their essence into divine weapons, which were armaments of great celestial power. Each of the Heavenly Choirs set forth a champion who extolled one of the virtues of Mt. Celestia. They became one with the Divine Arms, and as such they created artifacts of immense power. In order to bind the angelic weapons to the prime material plane, and maintain their immense power, Martyriel sacrificed herself for the greater good, using her life essence to sustain the power of the Brotherhood. Her sacrifice bound these new artifacts to the power of Mt. Celestia directly, allowing them to tap into the raw power of the Heavens. With the weapons sealed and ready for use by mortals, Raziel delivered them in secret to seven mortal champions. These mortals were the first to swear the sacred oaths and bind themselves to spirits within their heavenly gifts. With the Gods Peace at hand, Raziel returned to Mt. Celestia only for disaster to strike. The Great Seals were powered to their fullest potential and the Outer Planes locked. Once the Seals activated, the flow of energy between the Planes lessened from a roar to a trickle. The heavenly artifacts and the angels inside only have a miniscule of their potential power as before. Understanding the need for the Brotherhood to continue their crusade, the first mortal champions changed the Oath's of their Pact and allowed their eternal souls to go to the seven virtues Angels bound to the Armaments. Brotherhood must continue on and so the mortals wield the weapons of faith against their foes and upon their deaths, continue the fight by granting their souls to the seven. Raziel continues to serve the Brotherhood as the Keeper of Secrets and uses his influence to help continue its mission. The Armaments of Martyrdom still see service to this day. '''The Brotherhood's Tenets''' * '''Crusade:''' I will seek out those that offer their Mortal Souls to the foul, unjust and unworthy. It is my Crusade to limit the power of evil where I find it, and deny those Beings the souls of mortals. Clerics and Warlocks of evil powers shall be my priority, for I am the Righteous Fire of the Heavens. * '''Judgement:''' I will judge those mortals I find in pact an offer them a path of eternity if able. I will defend myself and my allies but offer atonement to those that will listen. * '''Redemption:''' Those that can be redeemed shall be set upon the path of Penance. * '''Patience:''' The path to goodness can take time. I will exercise patience and be an example of good in the world. Though I may have to act in secret or walk in shadows my intent will lead me to a virtuous life. * '''Peace and Deliverance:''' I will deliver peace to those that make pact with dark influences. If redemption fails or they are lost, I will grant the mercy of death if able for it is better to send a weakened soul to it’s dark master than allow it to fester and grow. For if the darkness grows, it may corrupt others. I shall be the light that grants eternity. '''[[The Seven Armaments of Martyrdom]]'''